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Linking Databricks as a Source

This guide walks through connecting a Databricks SQL Warehouse to Actioneer. By the end, Actioneer will be able to query tables in your specified catalog and schema.
  
  Prerequisites  Databricks workspace with a SQL Warehouse, Actioneer account
  Access granted  SELECT queries on specified tables
  Estimated time  ~15–20 minutes
Actioneer cannot insert, update, delete, or modify any data, tables, or settings in your Databricks workspace.
1

Locate your SQL Warehouse connection details

Actioneer connects through a Databricks SQL Warehouse. Two values are required: the server hostname and the HTTP path.
  1. Open your Databricks workspace.
  2. In the left sidebar, click SQL Warehouses.
  3. Click the warehouse Actioneer should use.
  4. Open the Connection Details tab and copy both values below.
  Field  Location  Value Example
  Server Hostname  Connection Details tab  adb-1234567890.5.azuredatabricks.net
  HTTP Path  Connection Details tab  /sql/1.0/warehouses/abc123def
2

Create a Personal Access Token

A Personal Access Token (PAT) is the credential Actioneer uses to authenticate with Databricks.
  1. In your Databricks workspace, click your profile icon in the top-right corner.
  2. Select Settings → Developer → Access tokens.
  3. Click Generate new token.
  4. Name it Actioneer Integration and set an expiry (90 or 365 days is typical).
  5. Click Generate and copy the token immediately.
Databricks displays the token exactly once. If you close the dialog without copying it, you will need to generate a new one. Store it in a password manager.
A shared service account works with Actioneer and is a good option for team setups. Your Databricks admin can advise on which account to use.
3

Grant read-only access to your tables

The account linked to your token needs permission to read the relevant catalog and schema. Your Databricks admin can run the following SQL in a Databricks SQL editor.Replace <your_catalog>, <your_schema>, and <username> with your actual values.
-- Allow the user to access the catalog
GRANT USE CATALOG ON CATALOG <your_catalog> TO `<username>`;

-- Allow the user to access the schema
GRANT USE SCHEMA ON SCHEMA <your_catalog>.<your_schema> TO `<username>`;

-- Grant read access to all existing tables and views in the schema
GRANT SELECT ON ALL TABLES IN SCHEMA <your_catalog>.<your_schema> TO `<username>`;
  Permission  Scope  Purpose
  USE CATALOG  Catalog  Navigate into the catalog
  USE SCHEMA  Schema  Navigate into the schema
  SELECT ON ALL TABLES IN SCHEMA  All tables and views in schema  Read data from tables and views
These commands follow the Unity Catalog privilege model, where SELECT must be granted on individual tables, views, or on ALL TABLES IN SCHEMA — not on the schema itself. If you are unsure about your catalog or schema names, forward this page to your Databricks admin.
4

Connect Databricks in Actioneer

Your SQL Warehouse must be in a Running state when you click Connect. If the warehouse is paused or stopped, the connection attempt will time out without returning an error. Start the warehouse from the SQL Warehouses page in your Databricks workspace before proceeding.
If your Databricks workspace has IP access lists enabled, add 35.244.14.238/32 under Admin Console → Settings → IP Access Lists before connecting.
  1. In Actioneer, click Data in the left sidebar.
  2. Select Databricks from the list of data sources.
  3. When prompted, select Direct Connection.
  4. Complete the connection form:
  Field  Value
  Connection Name  A descriptive label, e.g. Production Databricks
  Server Hostname  From Step 1 (e.g., adb-1234567890.5.azuredatabricks.net) — do not include https://
  Schema / Database  The schema from Step 3 (e.g., default). Required — Actioneer scopes table discovery to this value.
  HTTP Path  From Step 1 (starts with /sql/1.0/warehouses/)
  Catalog  The catalog from Step 3 (e.g., main)
  Personal Access Token  From Step 2 (starts with dapi)
  1. Click Connect.

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Common questions

No. The permissions granted in Step 3 are limited to SELECT and USAGE. Actioneer cannot insert, update, delete, or alter any data, tables, or workspace settings.
Actioneer will show a connection error. Your data is unaffected. Generate a new token in Databricks (same process as Step 2) and update it in Actioneer’s data settings. Takes about two minutes.
All credentials are encrypted at rest with AES-256 and encrypted in transit with TLS 1.3. They are never stored in plain text or logged. Actioneer is SOC 2 Type II certified, ISO 27001 certified (audited by Schellman), and GDPR compliant.

Need a hand?

Stuck on a step or running into an error? Reach out at connect@actioneer.com.